Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today said that all steps are being taken for the storage and packaging of food grains in the wake of bumper crops this year. Making a brief statement on the farmers' plight in the Lok Sabha today during Zero Hour, Mr. Pranab Mukherjee admitted a mismatch as godowns lacked storage space when there had been a record production of wheat and rice. Raising the issue, Senior Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav said due to bumper production in Uttar Paradesh and other States as well,food grains are lying in open. He said there is a possibility of rotting of grains as rains may come at any time.

Referring to the shortage of jute bags to store foodgrain, Mr. Mukherjee said that Jute factories at Kolkata have been asked to increase production by 25 thousand bags, at present it is 2 and a half lakh bags. He said, While plastic bags had been banned, the government was following international norms for packaging of sugar, wheat and rice stored in biodegradable jute bags,. Besides providing several tax and other concessions to create more storage capacity, exports were being encouraged and the Rural Development Ministry was working on providing foodgrain to MNREGA workers as part of their wages. He said , State governments have to be involved in this. The Minister informed that govenment is also trying to increase the numbers of godowns. He said construction of godowns has been encouraged by asking banks to provide loans for the purpose.